Monkey Around ...

This Christmas because they love me so much, Innocent the smoothie guys sent me a smashing pair of socks ... And they don't send them in my size (they once sent me fab orange socks) so i get my crafting on ...

And so on boxing Day was born a fabulous Sock Money, who looked very festive and fitted this Special Hat rather nicely ...

I Instagrammed and Tweeted my new found friend but he does need a name, and perhaps a vocattion? Much love, Cat XXXX

Facing up to it - 9

Seasons greetings from me and my Christmas-tree-green teeth! I've had braces on my teeth for 278 days as this screen shot complete wth day-1 pic shows!

I've been photographed a lot this year as carnival queen and I've seen my smile changing. Here I am today...

I got a upgrade of top wire this time, which was really tough to put in. The same wire stayed in the bottom, this time without the double twists. Claire discovered one of the brackets was loose when she cut the silver ties off. 

Back in a months time in the new year. The surgery creeps closer!

Facing Up To It - 8 and a bit

I went to see the hygienist for the last time at DCH. She is leaving to work in care homes which is very commendable. But I do hope the NHS get a new one soon for the jaw surgery people.

Although my usual state is clean looking teeth I do stain very easily now I'm decorated with metal, rubber, and glue. So it's nice to get a deep clean when I can. 

I got blasted all over with bicarbonate of soda and then another clean with her grind and polish tool. The blasting even exfoliated my face too. Bonus!

Said farewell to hygienist, and she into complemented my gum health while reminding me I looked like a chewed tobacco. Hey ho. 

Don't be board .....

Found a superb chopping board in a charity shop and snapped it up for collaging ....

It already had red sides, so I covered each side in pages of prayer book, and overlapped the edges, sanding them once dry. I covered both sides and then scumbled white paint over the top. 

Now for some fun, cutting lettering from pretty paper using a sketch as a guide. All the letters were drawn on the back of the paper in reverse. 

After gluing them to the heart, I rubbed in some pastel colours and fixed them before varnishing the piece ...

Here is the other side of this truly double sided art! 

Bees at large!

Remember my bees? Now it's time for their first outing and you can see them here from tomrrow ...

I had a look at all the art being set up today and it all looks really good. If you come to the opening tomrrow you can meet lots of the artists too and me as Queen Cat helping to open the exhibition at 11am. Drinks and nibbles and a voucher below if you bring it with you :-)

And here are the sock bees that turned out so well! Everyone wants to stroke them! Naughty!

Four Memory Pups ....

I was asked to make some very special pups in the style of my flat cats! I love to be asked to try new things so I set about designing some dogs with fold-over ears ...

After sketching and sharing progress wth my friend, I create the patters I will use to cut the fabric pieces with ....

Apart from the white fleece and wool I used for the eyes, each pup is made from pieces of a Daddy's jumper and one of his shirts. This project is so special because the Dad died last year. 

With the ears sewn in this pup looks rather silly! I need a few small stitches to fold over the ears just right! The nose is also needle felted and the mouth will be hand embroidered :-)

Pin the ears before sewing down so you can get the angle right!

Here are all four dogs ready to leave me. Have fun guys and thank you for standing in the gap and helping to celebrate a special person. 

Have you worked with clothing to help preserve memories? 

At almost one year ....

Mike and Cat sing together, and make another wedding memory. Enjoy!

Quilting-Bee?

I was given a large amount of pre-cut hexagons. All small and make from interfacing. Suddenly thought of them as I considered how to display my new bees next month ...

I've also never made a hexagon quilt and they really apeal to me so I decided to give it a go. The whole family joined in to help cut fabric shapes!

Daisy helped me to lay them out ...

After a long time spent hand wrapping the templates I loaded my machine with sparkle thread and began piecing together all of them!

Finally, I pressed the work. It looks fab and can bee added to later!

Facing Up To It - 8

I'm blogging on time and up to date as I pose with one of my eight new bees. The fuZZIES want one each, for Christmas!

So here I am with an ever changing smile. The lack of lower teeth, or lip support, gives away my lack of lower jaw bone. It looks like I stick out the top deck on purpose. 

I chose silver as the colour to tie on my wire - the same wite as last time - and it looks like a gentle blue as it catches the light. Many of them are double twisted to tie me down a bit tighter! My teeth really hurt tonight. 

My nurse today was Hannah, wondered how Kelly was doing and if she's reading this? Off to finish more Bees. They debut soon! 

Edward Tulane rabbit doll still having adventures ...

Two Edward Tulane Dolls just Left my hands ...

One of them took a moment to send a picture of himself in his new home, via my Etsy shop! He does look rather handsome if I say so myself ...

And here is a little Edward, the smaller version of the doll I make, making a new friend with a very young fan!

It looks like they are going to get on well. If you have one of my dolls I would love to see him ... And you!

House work ...

I forgot to take the before pic, the everyday view of the hall prior to Mike taking down the false wall with the crack in the wallpaper ....

My that cream was a nasty colour ... The old door and frame have been recycled to cover up the electoral thingies that we don't need to see. Also there is space in the bottom for candles and a torch!

Next it's time for an old moth nibbled carpet to go, and those ceiling tiles that look like rice cakes too. 

It's gonna get more messy before it gets better!

House work and treasure!

Today, after a morning out Mike decided to pull some old panelling off the stairs to see what's beneath. The paneling is wallpapered and the paper is split so there is nothing to lose!

Hidden behind the boards, on a ledge is a small taped up package. The tape is very yellow and the paper has been nibbled by our pet silverfish!

I have met these guys before! I found and photographed their graffiti under paper in two bedrooms and in the living room, where the family left another date. They papered the living room a month before they hid this note! 

 

A 44 year old coin, which probably looked very new when it was hidden, as 1971 was the year that these coins first came into circulation. It was also the year I was born ...

Mary-Mary

Inspired by my bees, look what Mary has created!

This sweet bug has a head, abdomen and thorax as this is the first time Mary has used safety eyes too!

Facing up to it - 7

This week I went into orthodontics to have a little excess wire cut off. As teeth move, sharp bits magically appear, and because my small mouth gets in the way, spectacular holes can develop! 

Dr Ellis was free to help me out and after a short wait I went in to see her. She expressed delight at getting the chance to see how my teeth were lining up, and as she peered into my mouth she was not disappointed!

With barely hidden excitement, she suggested to her assistant that I might have an adjustment today instead of coming back in two weeks, and I didn't mind at all. 

Later I smiled at my extra blessing, even though Dr Ellis was right and I had very many sore teeth. A struggle ensued between orthodontist and some very small spaces and then I finally recieved my second upgrade in wire thickness!

I was not expecting to chose a new colour today so I went back to my first colour of aqua. I do like it! Scroll back to see how I wore it back in March this year!

And how's that Rat-Head doing? Not bad ....

Facing Up To It - 6

Royal red bands for me next! And my first

Upgrade of wire thickness! Since the last adjustment my teeth now meet in two places and eating salad has become slightly esier with four molars almost working together!

Then I got a super shine up with the in-house hygenist. She tackled staining, and some scale, and gave advice on problem areas. I can see her every two months or a little more often if I would like to!

Good progress is being made by teeth on the move. In six months time we shall have more idea on the time scale, but Mrs Furness said surgery would not be before next summer. I can still scare myself thinking about facing it...

But Mary can make me laugh for photographs!

Making designer cushions home-ed style! 1

The last day of August is as rainy as ever .... So having spotted some expensive designer wildlife cushions on line we decide to make our own. Only better!

Using Flickr as inspiration each of us chose a different animal and despite the grey day, the window still worked as a light box ...

Mary has been in a meerkat phase for quite sometime now... Waxy coloured pencils are being used to trace the basic shapes. Topsy the cat can be seen clearly not helping ...

We are working on pieces of toile that have been washed and pressed, using acrylic paints. Most of us used them like watercolour but Matty has applied much of hers quite thickly ...

Mary doenst think she is good at painting! She is going to do the eyes in fabric pastel! That's the next step once these all dry.

I painted a familiar pet ...

Clean up time while the paint dries!